BNW Satire Essay Brave New World was written as a satire and not meant to be taken literally. In the quote chosen by the class, Huxley used reductio ad absurdum and mockery to clearly represent the passage as a satire.
The quoted passage has strong elements of reductio ad absurdum. Mustapha argues that a society can be independent of God as long as it has youth and prosperity. By saying this he implies that the only reason people would need God is if they are poor or old. This perfectly fits the satirical technique. A literal interpretation would cause the logic of his argument to reveal its inherent flaws. There are many reasons why people turn to God besides poverty and old age. One example from the text is how Lenina constantly has to turn to soma when her emotions get the best of her. This idea also ties into the satirical theme of emphasizing human weaknesses. If there was more of a religious outlet for citizens, perhaps Lenina could directly deal with her troubling emotions instead of covering them with soma. These satirical techniques make it clear that a literal interpretation is incorrect.
Along with reductio ad absurdum, Huxley uses the satirical technique of mockery. Mustapha mocks John’s beliefs of religion by brushing them off as unnecessary to a successful society. When in reality the Brave New World society has substituted soma and sex for a more formal type of religion, as illustrated on page 82 when they start their Solidarity Service. The Solidarity Service functions as a replacement for religious services, however inadequate the service is. This relates to accepted beliefs being used as a source of satire. Interpreting this passage literally would mean that there is no need for the system currently in place in Brave New World. There has to be something in a society to fill the void where a God or religion would normally reside. With this type of thought process, dismissing John’s belief in God so simply can only be interpreted as satirical.
As a whole, Brave New World is easily seen as a satire. When looking at the ideas presented in the book, most are simply ridiculous when interpreted literally. Huxley, however, writes in such a way that causes the reader to take the ideas presented literally at first. Only after questioning and analyzing the techniques he uses to express his ideas does the satire emerge.
Brave New World was written as a satire and not meant to be taken literally. In the quote chosen by the class, Huxley used reductio ad absurdum and mockery to clearly represent the passage as a satire.
The quoted passage has strong elements of reductio ad absurdum. Mustapha argues that a society can be independent of God as long as it has youth and prosperity. By saying this he implies that the only reason people would need God is if they are poor or old. This perfectly fits the satirical technique. A literal interpretation would cause the logic of his argument to reveal its inherent flaws. There are many reasons why people turn to God besides poverty and old age. One example from the text is how Lenina constantly has to turn to soma when her emotions get the best of her. This idea also ties into the satirical theme of emphasizing human weaknesses. If there was more of a religious outlet for citizens, perhaps Lenina could directly deal with her troubling emotions instead of covering them with soma. These satirical techniques make it clear that a literal interpretation is incorrect.
Along with reductio ad absurdum, Huxley uses the satirical technique of mockery. Mustapha mocks John’s beliefs of religion by brushing them off as unnecessary to a successful society. When in reality the Brave New World society has substituted soma and sex for a more formal type of religion, as illustrated on page 82 when they start their Solidarity Service. The Solidarity Service functions as a replacement for religious services, however inadequate the service is. This relates to accepted beliefs being used as a source of satire. Interpreting this passage literally would mean that there is no need for the system currently in place in Brave New World. There has to be something in a society to fill the void where a God or religion would normally reside. With this type of thought process, dismissing John’s belief in God so simply can only be interpreted as satirical.
As a whole, Brave New World is easily seen as a satire. When looking at the ideas presented in the book, most are simply ridiculous when interpreted literally. Huxley, however, writes in such a way that causes the reader to take the ideas presented literally at first. Only after questioning and analyzing the techniques he uses to express his ideas does the satire emerge.